Una Europa seed funding: A driver for transnational collaboration

As the alliance prepares to launch its 2026 next seed fund call, we take a look at the success stories and opportunities offered by collaborative research with partners from across Una Europa.

Una Europe seed funding impact in recent years

From sustainable agriculture to generative AI models, Una Europa seed funding has supported Edinburgh academics in developing their research networks, setting up new connections and building lasting projects. Project collaboration is supported by researchers match-making events, offering an opportunity to draw on each institution’s respective strengths and areas of expertise. 

2024 seed funding: Strengthening Europe-Africa research partnerships

Margaret delivering a lecture to colleagues at KU Leuven
Professor Margaret Graham (School of Geosciences) delivering a lecture to colleagues at KU Leuven

The 2024 Una Europa seed funding calls focussed on collaboration between Una Europa institutions and partner universities in Africa. 

The PEAKSOLVE project, led by Professor Margaret Graham (School of Geosciences), tackled global water and population challenges in collaboration with Una Europa partners Universiteit Leiden and Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie, as well as the University of the Witwatersrand. The project, which aimed to improve water quality in rural areas with limited infrastructure, culminated in a science and policy workshop and a three-day graduate forum at Wits’ Rural Facility in South Africa.

Multidisciplinarity is at the heart of Una Europa research collaboration, which is guided by the alliance’s six Focus Areas: Cultural Heritage, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Europe and the World, Future Materials and Technologies, One Health, and Sustainability. 

Another 2024 project, led by the University of Edinburgh’s Mustapha Douch from the Business School, focussed on the green and digital transformation of SME in Europe and Africa.

I joined the gDTEA project to work with a multi-continental, multi-disciplinary, multi-university and diverse research working cohort handling a research agenda contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets. The Una Europa community has exposed me to new early career researchers from different universities handling diverse research themes. The energy and vibrancy from the researchers is a constant challenge.

Ochieng Duncan Elly (University of Nairobi), the project’s Chairholder

2025 seed-funding: Record success for Edinburgh academics

Community garden allotment
The GreenHer project (Urban agriculture at the urban peripheries: Allotments, Community gardens and social struggles for green heritage) unites researchers from alliance partners.

With UoE a partner in 70% of seed-funded projects since the start of the alliance in 2019, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have accessed a total of over €1 million in shared budgets through 50 projects with Una Europa partners, distributed across all three Colleges. 

The 2025 marked a new record, with University of Edinburgh researchers successful in 9 out of 10 awarded projects from the Una Europa 2025 seed-fund call, including two as a lead: ALMATCLEAN, led by Dr. Eleonora Ricci (School of Engineering), aims to accelerate the clean energy transition through next-generation materials, while ANNOTATE, led by Dr Lucia Bandiera (School of Engineering), will use a pioneering approach to healthcare, combining data science and AI with clinical research. 

Other 2025 projects involving Edinburgh researches include a wide range of topics across Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering, with multidisciplinary projects tackling challenges in areas ranging from healthcare technology and civic engagement to clean energy. 

Ed Hollis, Professor of Interior Design at Edinburgh College of Art, is the Edinburgh lead for another awarded project, Green-Her, which explores the heritage dynamics, past histories and current practices of allotments and gardens located on the urban peripheries of European cities. The project, which kicked off with a workshop at the 'Ferme des Possibles' in Paris in April 2026, will culminate in a garden festival in the 'Jardin des Vertus' allotments in the same city at harvest time in September 2026. 

Discover all awarded projects from the 2025 Una Europa seed-funding call

2026 Seed Funding Call 

Secure up to €30k to kick-start a new interdisciplinary collaboration across the alliance and beyond.
This year’s call welcomes proposals that will enhance our Interdisciplinary Hubs for education, research and innovation, and societal outreach across Una Europa’s six Focus Areas:
 
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
  • Europe and the World
  • Future Materials and Technologies
  • One Health
  • Sustainability

Inspired to submit your own proposal? The 2026 Una Europa Seed Funding is open for Expressions of Interest to find collaborators until 26 November 2026, with project submissions open until 28 January 2027.

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